San Mateo County Health Foundation

We are a small group of concerned citizens of San Mateo County who work together to improve health care delivery and access to all regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. We raise funds for diverse programs and equipment, such as The Keller Center for victims of domestic violence, The Ron Robinson Center for Geriatric care and The Bundle of Joy program which gives greatly needed medical advice, clothes and blankets for newborn babies and their mothers. Our most recent undertaking is to raise funds for a digital mammogram machine to improve the technology needed to diagnose breast cancer at its earliest and most curable stage, saving both lives and further health care costs.

At first glance I thought of the SMC Health Foundation to be a mere volunteer opportunity that I was fortunate to find at a dire time in my high school career, now I see it as a wonderful center with people who truly want to help. The staff were all very generous and acted like they wanted to help. I have volunteered for various public organizations due to school requirements and a senior center for 2 years and I have confidence to say that SMC Health Foundation knows how to establish a proper relationship with a volunteer. In past volunteer services I had been manipulated into a pseudo job position at the organization in the guise of a volunteer service, and was chided into giving up various, important obligations through guilt because the organization would rely on me too heavily. In the end I ended with a very hectic and unhealthy lifestyle in a tug of war between school and volunteer work. However, SMC Health Foundation supervisors are friendly, flexible with time, and responsible. If I miss a month of service or have to quit suddenly, it does not hinder their work process one bit and they will never waste your time, keep you busy, and give you a break if you ask for one. I was truly blessed to find this organization and after spending every weekday with them after school I can tell that the people who work there are one of the nicest, and most dedicated people you will meet in this business.

Working with the Foundation to document and promote the reopening of the Ron Robinson Senior Care Center at San Mateo Medical Center was a pleasure. The foundation staff are knowledgeable, professional, cooperative, open to suggestions - in all, a delight to work with. The dedication to the work of the foundation was immediately apparent. We hope this event was the beginning of a long relationship

The SMCHF porvided the funds for the just completed remodel of the Ron Robinson Senior Care Center at San Mateo Medical Center. That remodel has provided the facilities to hire additional providers and serve additional clients. As a client myself, the improvements have eased the regristration process, enabled more timely services, expanded the services provided, and made whole experince more satisfying. SMCHF continues to provide the precious, much needed funding to imporve facilities and strengthen medical services here in San Mateo County, for which we should all be grateful

After fifty years with a private hospital (non-profit) hospital as patients, donors and fund raisers, we learned that the San Mateo Medical Center is available for alll emergencies when other hospitals are not. For five years now we have used the County Medial Center's service center and emergency room. The San Mateo Medical Center is a vital part of the medical services available to help the residents of the nearlly one million people in our Countly.

I was able to do photography for the wonderful events produced by Patricia O'Brien, Executive Director, honoring the doctors there. The experience was rewarding, and I was so happy to contribute to the good San Mateo County Health foundation is doing for the community.